Question about 44 mag recoil

[Dokk]

First, I have "stalked" these forums for a number of years, but have never actually been a member. I have found a lot of useful information by reading what others have contributed, so when I was searching for answers to my question, this forum was naturally my first choice.

I purchased a 4 5/8 Ruger new model Super Blackhawk in 44 mag last year because I was looking for something to carry while hiking, and because I've always wanted a 44 mag and wanted something I could go out to the range and have fun with. I know there are other options, but I'm a big fan of the Ruger SA revolvers, having shot several Vaqueros in the past. I'm not new to the 44 cartridge, but I wouldn't say I'm a veteran either. --Side note: my first experience with a 44 mag was when I was about 13 or 14. My stepdad and I were at the range with his 6" 629 and he loaded up 5 specials and one magnum, spun the cylinder, then handed it to me and said, "Good luck!" with a huge grin on his face. I think I probably flinched on every load in anticipation of the one dreaded magnum load. Haha, a very fond memory indeed.--

Anyway, the issue I am having is not so much the recoil of the gun being "too much" but it's how the gun recoils. Like with any SA revolver, the gun to "rolls" back after firing due to the shape of the frame. In smaller calibers this has never been a problem for me, but with the 44 mag I've been having a hard time controlling just how far it goes, and have gotten a few nice hammer bites around the webbing between my index finger and thumb.

I am certain that this is a problem with my technique and/or grip, and was hoping others could chime in with advice on how to manage this. I do believe that I'm keeping a firm grip on the revolver, but I'm also not white knuckling it either. I have read elsewhere that you shouldn't fight the recoil, but let it work with you. How exactly is that accomplished?

Thanks in advance for your replies! I'm glad to finally be a member of the community that I have learned so much from over the years!!

 

[.308 Norma]

Howdy Dokk, welcome to the forum!
Okay, stand by for a little bragging here - back in the early '80s, my wife was one of the top IHMSA revolver competitors in the state, and she used full-house, .44 Magnum loads in her Super Blackhawk - 220gr. Sierra "Silhouettes" over a massive charge of 2400. Granted, her Super Blackhawks (she had two of them) had 10.5" barrels, but she's only 5'2" and 110lbs.
She trained. She squeezed one of those "V" shaped, grip exerciser things a lot, sometimes she squeezed a rubber ball, and sometimes she worked with one of those little, hand-held, finger exercisers. I don't know much about baseball, but Mrs. .308 Norma also wore a left-handed batters glove with the trigger finger cut out of it on her right hand when she shot. The padding in the palm of the glove helped, and it also protected the skin on the inside of her right thumb as that Super Blackhawk rolled in her hand when she shot.
I also have no idea how to explain how to "not fight the recoil, to work with it," is accomplished. All I can tell you is what my lovely wife says; "Relax. Hold the gun firmly, but just let it kick."
Now for the bad news - thousands of full house .44 Magnum rounds fired in competition and practice have helped leave my lovely, now 65 years old, wife with arthritis in her right wrist, and tendonitis in her right elbow. Don't get me wrong, she'd do it again. A shelf lined with shooting trophies make for some pretty fond memories. But there are consequences to winning those trophies.

 

[243winxb]

Mag na port it. Had my SBH done. Now shooting a ported S&W M29.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Nice gun and welcome to THR.
I have a 41 Mag SBH and it's a challenge to hang on to with heavy loads.
With that short barrel and bigger bullets your gonna have to squeeze those grips till the sap runs.
At least that's what I do.

 

[Damon555]

Either let the gun rotate during recoil or equip your revolver with grips like I have on mine......They are ugly and ever so slightly too big for my hands but they make my SBH much more enjoyable to shoot.

 

[LoneGoose]

I agree that those rubber grips work. I have Hogue's on my 629 and I get no pain. The rubber sticks to my hand as well as absorbing energy. With a firm strong hand and some extra grip from the off hand, the gun will kick your hands up with it. I shoot .44 Specials in it when plinking.
Good luck.

 

[Mycin]

Way back when, my roommate had a 7.5" .44 Mag SBH. We usually came home from shooting it bloody from hammer bite. He put a set of rubber Pacmayr grips on it, and it solved the issue. They weren't as attractive as the original wood grips, but still more attractive than the Hogue ones (IMO).

 

[Dokk]

Howdy Dokk, welcome to the forum!
Okay, stand by for a little bragging here - back in the early '80s, my wife was one of the top IHMSA revolver competitors in the state, and she used full-house, .44 Magnum loads in her Super Blackhawk - 220gr. Sierra "Silhouettes" over a massive charge of 2400. Granted, her Super Blackhawks (she had two of them) had 10.5" barrels, but she's only 5'2" and 110lbs.
She trained. She squeezed one of those "V" shaped, grip exerciser things a lot, sometimes she squeezed a rubber ball, and sometimes she worked with one of those little, hand-held, finger exercisers. I don't know much about baseball, but Mrs. .308 Norma also wore a left-handed batters glove with the trigger finger cut out of it on her right hand when she shot. The padding in the palm of the glove helped, and it also protected the skin on the inside of her right thumb as that Super Blackhawk rolled in her hand when she shot.
I also have no idea how to explain how to "not fight the recoil, to work with it," is accomplished. All I can tell you is what my lovely wife says; "Relax. Hold the gun firmly, but just let it kick."
Now for the bad news - thousands of full house .44 Magnum rounds fired in competition and practice have helped leave my lovely, now 65 years old, wife with arthritis in her right wrist, and tendonitis in her right elbow. Don't get me wrong, she'd do it again. A shelf lined with shooting trophies make for some pretty fond memories. But there are consequences to winning those trophies.

That's quite the story, and definitely something to be proud of! And I would agree that even though she may have pains and difficulties now, it sounds like it was entirely worth it. Luckily, I don't think I'll ever put that many rounds through mine, but if 65 year old me came to me and told me that I'm going to have similar problems, I'd kindly let him know that it was worth it as long as I enjoyed every minute of it!

I considered a shooting glove, and maybe that's something to look into a little more. I certainly don't have any problems with the "shock" factor. Yeah, it's loud when it goes boom, and there's definitely some force there, but I don't mind any of that. I might try some grip exercises too. Long story short, I'm a desk jockey by day and have carpal tunnel in both wrists. I worked on stretches and a few other strengthening techniques and it's no longer a problem, but that being said, I may not be gripping as firmly as I think since my grip isn't what it used to be.

Thanks for the great story, the reply, and the welcome! Much appreciated!!

 

[Dokk]

Mag na port it. Had my SBH done. Now shooting a ported S&W M29.

This is something I may do. Out of curiosity, what did that run you? I know that's going to vary between smiths, but having a ballpark figure couldn't hurt.

 

[Dokk]

Either let the gun rotate during recoil or equip your revolver with grips like I have on mine......They are ugly and ever so slightly too big for my hands but they make my SBH much more enjoyable to shoot.

This is my last resort. It may be the best option down the line, but like you, I feel like it makes the gun much less attractive. I am completely astonished at how great the gun looks with the beautiful stock grips (normally that's one of the first cosmetic changes I would make) and hope to never change them. Then again, if I can never shoot it comfortably, it's not much more that a paperweight.

 

[Dokk]

Thinking a little more about it, has anyone tried hotter special loads? Is that a reliable means for getting more used to learning how to "work with" the recoil?

 

[birdshot8's]

Maybe a pair of shooting gloves would help?

 

[RecoilRob]

On other threads we've been hashing out whether locked arms or bent is the better way to go, and it's largely come down to either speed or recoil compliance being the major factor. In this case...bent elbows will greatly help cushioning the recoil by allowing the gun to move. With a plow handled SA revolver trying to death grip it to keep it from rolling in the hand is going against the basic design which was intended to slide when it fires. If you bend your elbow and let the gun come back that'll take a good bit of the energy out of it...which should reduce the amount it tries to roll in the hand. Try letting it come back and of course up a bit and see if this doesn't make it easier on your shooting paw.

Related story you might find amusing:

At an indoor range years ago a fellow showed up with a brand new SBH and wanted the hottest 44 Mags on the shelf. The counter guy handed him a box and in conversation found that this was his first gun...and he'd never actually fired ANY handgun before! But this guy wanted to start at the top...so no wimpy gun for him. The counter guy handed him a box of Specials and suggested he run through them first just to get the feel but new gun guy was having none of it...he was a MAN. Happened to be stationed right beside him and watched him prepare to take his first shot. He held the gun one handed with his elbow bent close to 90 degrees and being as it was about 18" from his face I had to step in and caution him about what was going to happen. He got mad at me bothering him...so I backed off and with the other amused onlookers sat back to watch the fiasco unfold. Of course, when he touched off the shot the gun instantly struck him square in the forehead burying the front sight right deep. It was pathetic but funny at the same time...if only he'd not been such a jerk he could have saved a lot of pain.

44 Mags in a short barrelled SA are never going to be pleasant to shoot IMHO...it's more a matter of trying to control and minimize how much it hurts you while also being able to put the bullets on target. Light Specials are the way to go for fun shooting as they absolutely can be used without pain and in abundance. I haven't had any of the 44's out for a while, but when they go to the range it's normally like 90% Specials with a few full house Magnums along just in case someone wants to experience them. My wrist was damaged years ago with a 3" 629 and I like to think I've learned my lessons.

 

[Dokk]

On other threads we've been hashing out whether locked arms or bent is the better way to go, and it's largely come down to either speed or recoil compliance being the major factor. In this case...bent elbows will greatly help cushioning the recoil by allowing the gun to move. With a plow handled SA revolver trying to death grip it to keep it from rolling in the hand is going against the basic design which was intended to slide when it fires. If you bend your elbow and let the gun come back that'll take a good bit of the energy out of it...which should reduce the amount it tries to roll in the hand. Try letting it come back and of course up a bit and see if this doesn't make it easier on your shooting paw.

Related story you might find amusing:

At an indoor range years ago a fellow showed up with a brand new SBH and wanted the hottest 44 Mags on the shelf. The counter guy handed him a box and in conversation found that this was his first gun...and he'd never actually fired ANY handgun before! But this guy wanted to start at the top...so no wimpy gun for him. The counter guy handed him a box of Specials and suggested he run through them first just to get the feel but new gun guy was having none of it...he was a MAN. Happened to be stationed right beside him and watched him prepare to take his first shot. He held the gun one handed with his elbow bent close to 90 degrees and being as it was about 18" from his face I had to step in and caution him about what was going to happen. He got mad at me bothering him...so I backed off and with the other amused onlookers sat back to watch the fiasco unfold. Of course, when he touched off the shot the gun instantly struck him square in the forehead burying the front sight right deep. It was pathetic but funny at the same time...if only he'd not been such a jerk he could have saved a lot of pain.

44 Mags in a short barrelled SA are never going to be pleasant to shoot IMHO...it's more a matter of trying to control and minimize how much it hurts you while also being able to put the bullets on target. Light Specials are the way to go for fun shooting as they absolutely can be used without pain and in abundance. I haven't had any of the 44's out for a while, but when they go to the range it's normally like 90% Specials with a few full house Magnums along just in case someone wants to experience them. My wrist was damaged years ago with a 3" 629 and I like to think I've learned my lessons.

The only sad part of that story is that I wasn't able to witness it! Did you ever see him at the range again? Did anyone think to post "missing" flyers?

When I shoot two-handed I try to keep a pentagon shape between my torso and elbow (overhead view: think of the home plate in a baseball diamond, with my hands being the top of the plate, and my chest being the base) to absorb recoil, even with lower-caliber pistols. So this at least seems to be consistent with what you've said, I'll continue to maintain that kind of stance. I haven't dared to fire one-handed yet. It is something I intend to do in the future, but until I can reliably fire without allowing the gun to roll so far it's kind of a silly idea.

Assuming I were firing one-handed, it would be advisable to keep my arm as straight as possible (straight, but not locked and stiff), right?

 

[Dokk]

Either let the gun rotate during recoil or equip your revolver with grips like I have on mine......They are ugly and ever so slightly too big for my hands but they make my SBH much more enjoyable to shoot.

You know, when I purchased mine, I was strongly considering the Hunter model, but decided against it since I don't actively hunt. At some point I plan on getting one just because I really would like to have one for the fun factor, but seeing this photo of yours sure does make me want one sooner! Good thing I don't have any extra money to burn at the moment!!

 

[Damon555]

You know, when I purchased mine, I was strongly considering the Hunter model, but decided against it since I don't actively hunt. At some point I plan on getting one just because I really would like to have one for the fun factor, but seeing this photo of yours sure does make me want one sooner! Good thing I don't have any extra money to burn at the moment!!

Then you don't want to see it with the factory laminate grips.......The revolver is beautiful in its factory fresh configuration in my opinion....I hate to even show it with the rubber grips on it but it's the nature of the beast for me. I want to shoot it a lot with full power loads and leaving the factory plow handles on there isn't conducive to long, enjoyable shooting sessions.

 

[243winxb]

This is something I may do. Out of curiosity, what did that run you? I know that's going to vary between smiths, but having a ballpark figure couldn't hurt.

Its been many years since, so no idea on cost. The guns had to be shipped to Mag na Port when i did it. The more firearms a dealer got ported back then, the lower the cost per unit. Shipping these days is expensive.

 

[CraigC]

The problem here is that the shorter barreled Supers have the standard Blackhawk grip frame and it's really more recoil than can be managed with it. Converting it to a Bisley (or trading for one) will do more than any rubber grip ever could.

 

[murf]

try putting your pinky finger under the grip frame.

exaggerate your follow-through (keep pointing at the target) and let the gun pull your arm up and back. keep a consistent grip on the gun all the way through the shot.

luck,

murf

 

[RealGun]

If I want to really enjoy shooting a powerful load in a BH, I need to put on my shooting glove. That so far would be a "Carpenter" glove that comes with a half index finger and good palm and web padding. I use all the tips about managing recoil, but after a few shots it becomes more about managing recoil and pain. And that is not really with full power loads. It is a different story with my Smith 629 with Pachmayr Diamond Pro grip. I could shoot many more rounds with no discomfort. I am still learning to shoot Rugers, but think my 6 1/2" barrels are an advantage. The heavier 45s go in a 7 1/2" barrel.

 

[PCFlorida]

try putting your pinky finger under the grip frame.

exaggerate your follow-through (keep pointing at the target) and let the gun pull your arm up and back. keep a consistent grip on the gun all the way through the shot.

luck,

murf

Yep, that is what I do. Have never had a real problem with stiff loads in my 5 1/2 SBH. I actually enjoy the recoil, but I wouldn't if I couldn't handle it correctly.

 

[Dokk]

try putting your pinky finger under the grip frame.

exaggerate your follow-through (keep pointing at the target) and let the gun pull your arm up and back. keep a consistent grip on the gun all the way through the shot.

luck,

murf

Wow, that's an excellent idea! It's so simple I can't believe I didn't think of it, but without having tried it yet, it makes a lot of sense. Not sure when I'm headed to the range next, but I can't wait to try this out.

Thanks!!

 

[stoky]

the issue I am having is not so much the recoil of the gun being "too much" but it's how the gun recoils. Like with any SA revolver, the gun to "rolls" back after firing due to the shape of the frame.

I sold a 7½ Super Blackhawk for this very reason. I later put a better grip (without changing the frame) that pretty much fixed it on a .45 Convertible.
also have a story:
A year or so back, I was playing RO at a public range day. A gentleman was having a wonderful time shooting full tilt .45LC loads, with the recoil sending the barrel skyward. He handed it to the mayor of a neighboring town, who clocked himself between the eyebrows with the front sight.

 

[paul105]

Before changing grips or technique, you might want to try a pair of golf gloves or unpadded batting gloves. This will help to keep the gun from slipping. Some bow string wax (or maybe surf board wax) on the grips will also help keep the gun from shifting in your hand. You can also use the gloves with the wax for a bit more purchase and more comfortable shooting. Make sure that there are no seams on the glove that come in contact with the gun. Also, you can cut off the trigger finger off the glove at the knuckle or the entire finger.

For me, keeping the gun from slipping in my hand went a long way to more comfortable shooting with magnum handguns. My hands would sweat in the summer and would get so dry in the winter that it was almost as bad as the sweat when it came to slippage.

Of course none of this may work for you as we are all different. Your shooting style will most likely evolve over time. Just change one thing at a time so you know what is working for you.

One thing that I learned is to avoid the pinkie finger under the grip when shooting magnum handguns. It gets uncomfortable real quick and downright smarts is you have anything solid under the butt of the gun.

FWIW,

Paul

 

[RealGun]

Before changing grips or technique, you might want to try a pair of golf gloves or unpadded batting gloves. This will help to keep the gun from slipping. Some bow string wax (or maybe surf board wax) on the grips will also help keep the gun from shifting in your hand. You can also use the gloves with the wax for a bit more purchase and more comfortable shooting. Make sure that there are no seams on the glove that come in contact with the gun. Also, you can cut off the trigger finger off the glove at the knuckle or the entire finger.

For me, keeping the gun from slipping in my hand went a long way to more comfortable shooting with magnum handguns. My hands would sweat in the summer and would get so dry in the winter that it was almost as bad as the sweat when it came to slippage.

Of course none of this may work for you as we are all different. Your shooting style will most likely evolve over time. Just change one thing at a time so you know what is working for you.

One thing that I learned is to avoid the pinkie finger under the grip when shooting magnum handguns. It gets uncomfortable real quick and downright smarts is you have anything solid under the butt of the gun.

FWIW,

Paul

I think the pinkie finger thing was for firing free standing, not from a bench rest.